Can Pebble smartwatch compete with Apple and Google?

Pebble’s challenges include a lack of resources and a continuing struggle to define its audience.

Pebble’s challenges include a lack of resources and a continuing struggle to define its audience.

Photo: Handout, McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Photo: Handout, McClatchy-Tribune News Service

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Pebble’s challenges include a lack of resources and a continuing struggle to define its audience.

Pebble’s challenges include a lack of resources and a continuing struggle to define its audience.

Photo: Handout, McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Can Pebble smartwatch compete with Apple and Google?

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Time’s a ticking for Pebble.

As the Palo Alto smartwatch maker recently started sending the latest model of its phone-connected watches to those who helped fund its development, analysts cast doubt over its ability to compete with the likes of Apple and Google.

“They’re in a very difficult position right now,” said technologist Stephen Fluin, an expert on mobile phones and wearable devices. “They were the first smartwatch of any kind of scale, they sold more than a million of the original, and they have a lot of favor in the community. Flash forward to now, after a year of Android Wear and the recent launch of Apple Watch, and the realities of their project have become more apparent.”

Big challenges

According to analysts, Pebble faces two challenges: a lack of resources compared with its competition and a struggle to define its audience.

Pebble initially raised $10.3 million through Kickstarter in 2012, making it one of the most successful fundraising campaigns of its kind. But compared with Apple and Google — which have billions — it faces an uphill battle in recruiting the talent, developing the technology and investing in the marketing required to compete.

Analysts have said smaller smartwatch makers can succeed without competing with the likes of Apple and Google, but they do need to clearly differentiate themselves — and analysts aren’t convinced Pebble has done that.

Apple and Google have positioned their watches as fashion items, not geeky gadgets, pursuing a more mainstream audience. Pebble has been less clear about whom its watch is for.

It isn’t as refined as Apple or Google’s offerings, said Dan Ward, co-founder of app development firm Detroit Labs, but it’s also not as utilitarian as Garmin’s fitness watches, which makes it a difficult sell in a crowded marketplace.

“Design is just as important as what’s under the hood,” Ward said. “When Motorola first launched its smartwatch, there was extra buzz around the Moto 360 because it’s gorgeous. Then with Apple, we saw it strategically launch in six designer boutiques around the world, which is the first time anyone has done that.”

The smartwatch race looks increasingly like a David-and-Goliath situation, with Canalys analyst Daniel Matte saying it’s “basically impossible” to compete with Apple, Google and Samsung, which have “many orders of magnitude more resources.” But Pebble isn’t necessarily out of the race.

Some advantages

Pebble has distinct advantages over the main competition, Matte said.

Being created by neither Apple nor Google means Pebble’s watches are compatible with both iOS and Android, giving users the ability to switch between phones without having to change watches.

The Pebble’s battery lasts up to seven days on a single charge, compared with the Apple Watch and Android Wear, which last one to two days.

Pebble’s watches also lack the bells and whistles of its competition, which, while perceived as a weakness for some, could be one of its strengths, Matte said.

“It’s a very simple, streamlined product,” he said. “They’ve made something that’s not intrusive to your life.”